In Sam (Altman) we trust

On the dangers of trusting celebrity CEOs and a critical thinking framework

When Sam Altman was fired from his position as CEO of OpenAI last November, I found myself, like many others, aghast at the decision of OpenAI’s board. 

They said he wasn’t candid with his decisions and lied on several occasions. Certainly, this couldn’t be true. I mean, Sam seems like such a nice guy.

Reports came out back then criticizing the board members for their ideology (effective altruism) and defending Altman as a brilliant leader persecuted for his passion for progress. The fact that most OpenAI employees sided with him showed how wrong the board was, right?

RIGHT?!

Fast forward to May 2024, and the public’s perception of Altman has taken a hit.

First, there was the blunder with Scarlett Johanson’s voice. Then, the leaked documents showing Altman was complicit in threatening former employees.

And now, the other side of the story about his firing back in November. In an interview with TED Tech, former OpenAI board member Helen Toner explained what led to the decision to fire Altman. 

And it’s not pretty. 

I won’t repeat what she said here (I suggest you listen to the podcast). BTW, Altman’s defenders wasted no time responding.

My point here is the realization that humans tend to trust famous people irrationally.   

This can have tragic implications, like people dying when a president suggests a bogus remedy for Covid.

Thankfully, most people dismissed that idea.

However, when it comes to AI, blindly trusting tech leaders like Sam Altman or Elon Musk has serious implications.

8 Problems with Trusting Celebrity CEOs